Every match on this card is captivating and tells a great story. Infact i was bummed out over the prospect of having to watch another Shayna vs Ember Moon match. The match was great. Everything on this show meant something and Gargano vs Ciampa has to be a 5 star match!
7 Reviews
NXT TakeOver New Orleans: And Wrestlemania has to follow this?
Platypuschow8 April 2018
I tend to look forward to the NXT ppv's more than the main roster ones and Takeover: New Orleans demonstrates once again why.
Yet again the "Rookie" show delivers and produces a quality of wrestling you simply don't see on the main roster...........ever. Yes AJ vs Nakamura is set for tonight but if you think it'll be of the same quality as their 5* NJPW match you're out of your mind.
The pre-show was a bit of a chore, from non-stop advertising, no matches and that new guy who though charismatic made numerous botches even going as far as to refer to the Authors Of Pain as "Obese".............twice.
Now I called 100% of the matches (Which I rarely manage) It's not that the ppv was predictible, I just went with the most logical results and for a change they followed suit.
The opening match for the inaugural North American Championship exceeded expectations. What could have just been a spot match turned into quite a bout that showcased the strengths of each man and by the end it was hard to argue that anyone hadn't earned the championship. My one gripe would be Richochet, considering this was his debut and the level of skill the man has I question the logic of having him in the match as little as he actually was.
3 months on Ember vs Shayna is still great and I was looking forward to this finale (Most likely) I think the match should have been longer, but with the time they had they did a great job with several very memorable spots. The outcome? Well let's just say it's what I wanted.
Triple threat tag team bout was better than expected and though the outcome to me seemed obvious, the quality of wrestling and twist saved it from just being yet another above above par match. It did however seem to overshadow the Dusty Cup which was a shame.
The World Championship match is another bout that felt like you knew exactly how it would play out, but that was okay. Sadly though the match was above par it was riddled with awkward exchanges and several botches which demonstrated that these guys simply don't have the chemistry. Good stuff but by all rights should have been better.
And finally the main event a year in the making since Ciampa's heel turn and injury. Did it deliver? Absolutely. The two men put on a clinic out there. Was it the fast paced technical fight they'd normally put on? No. It was an un-sanctioned match so it was a hard hitting no-dq match which entertained regardless. Both men took it to the next level and I can't imagine anyone walked away unhappy (Except Ciampa maybe). Again though I do have a single gripe but as I don't put spoilers on these things I'll simply say "Closing moments" I think that should/could have been handled considerably better.
The Good:
Consistently great matches
Everyone came out looking strong
Logical booking from start to finish
The Bad:
Couple of underwhelming moments
Things I Learnt From This PPV:
Wrestlemania simply cannot follow this
If the whole WWE was booked this logically the product would be considerably better.
The Aleister Black magic is starting to fade already
Yet again the "Rookie" show delivers and produces a quality of wrestling you simply don't see on the main roster...........ever. Yes AJ vs Nakamura is set for tonight but if you think it'll be of the same quality as their 5* NJPW match you're out of your mind.
The pre-show was a bit of a chore, from non-stop advertising, no matches and that new guy who though charismatic made numerous botches even going as far as to refer to the Authors Of Pain as "Obese".............twice.
Now I called 100% of the matches (Which I rarely manage) It's not that the ppv was predictible, I just went with the most logical results and for a change they followed suit.
The opening match for the inaugural North American Championship exceeded expectations. What could have just been a spot match turned into quite a bout that showcased the strengths of each man and by the end it was hard to argue that anyone hadn't earned the championship. My one gripe would be Richochet, considering this was his debut and the level of skill the man has I question the logic of having him in the match as little as he actually was.
3 months on Ember vs Shayna is still great and I was looking forward to this finale (Most likely) I think the match should have been longer, but with the time they had they did a great job with several very memorable spots. The outcome? Well let's just say it's what I wanted.
Triple threat tag team bout was better than expected and though the outcome to me seemed obvious, the quality of wrestling and twist saved it from just being yet another above above par match. It did however seem to overshadow the Dusty Cup which was a shame.
The World Championship match is another bout that felt like you knew exactly how it would play out, but that was okay. Sadly though the match was above par it was riddled with awkward exchanges and several botches which demonstrated that these guys simply don't have the chemistry. Good stuff but by all rights should have been better.
And finally the main event a year in the making since Ciampa's heel turn and injury. Did it deliver? Absolutely. The two men put on a clinic out there. Was it the fast paced technical fight they'd normally put on? No. It was an un-sanctioned match so it was a hard hitting no-dq match which entertained regardless. Both men took it to the next level and I can't imagine anyone walked away unhappy (Except Ciampa maybe). Again though I do have a single gripe but as I don't put spoilers on these things I'll simply say "Closing moments" I think that should/could have been handled considerably better.
The Good:
Consistently great matches
Everyone came out looking strong
Logical booking from start to finish
The Bad:
Couple of underwhelming moments
Things I Learnt From This PPV:
Wrestlemania simply cannot follow this
If the whole WWE was booked this logically the product would be considerably better.
The Aleister Black magic is starting to fade already
NXT: Take Over: New Orleans truly did let the good time rolls! This show was amazing!
ironhorse_iv24 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
NXT once again, did the unthinkable! It outshine WWE's main show, 'WrestleMania' for the third year in a roll. 'NXT TakeOver: New Orleans" was 5 star entertainment! Taken place at the Smoothie King Center, the event saw the first crowning of the holder of the NXT North American Championship, by hosting a six-man ladder match for the inaugural title. Without spoiling too much of the match, all six competitors; including Adam Cole, EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet and Velveteen Dream did a hell of a job, making this match, entertaining. All of them, took their share of giving out & receiving punishment through some really dangerous stunt work. Surprising, for a ladder match, they weren't a lot of botches besides the one with Sullivan, Dream and Ricochet. For the most part, the performances was nearly perfect. If anything, the only thing, I kinda wish, the match, had; was a better build. The storyline behind the match seem somewhat rushed; as the North American Championship was only introduce, a week earlier on NXT TV taping. Even, some of the competitors like EC3 & Ricochet only been around for that short of time. There wasn't enough time to get general audiences to get to know, who these guys, were. Thank goodness for them, the crowd that made up, 'NXT: TakeOver: New Orleans' were all die-hard wrestling fans. If this was a normal event, there would be a little more confusement on who these guys are. As for the fanatic complains on championship belt design. I have to somewhat agree with them. The belt isn't that pretty to look at. Nevertheless, it's not the worst design. The old school prestige style metal plates are awesome. It's just the brown color strap that kills me. It really doesn't suite, the modern stage. It looks like a belt, stuck in the 1970s. It doesn't match well with the other belts in NXT. Talking about other titles, the NXT Women Championship match was next, with champion, Ember Moon defending her belt against challenger, Shayna Baszler. Once again, without spoiling the end; the match felt like a mixed bag. It was not as good as their encounter at 2018's 'NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia'. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad match, but if I had to nitpick. I really didn't like, how the roles were reverse from their past clash, with Baszler playing as the underdog, here. She supposed to be, a legit badass street fighter and yet, they have Moon dominate and become the aggressor, most of the contest. It felt odd for a baby face role to do. Still, I did dig how Shayna was able to show her gutsiness, as she forcefully re-socketed her shoulder that she was selling. Nevertheless, the most brilliant part of the match was how she adjusted her submission finish. That was kinda cool. Still, I didn't like how the finish came a bit of nowhere. It didn't fit with the story that they were telling the ring. In the end, the match did no favors for the crowd. It was average go to the restroom style crowd pleasing match. Despite that, it wasn't as jarring as the next match on the card, which saw a triple threat tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy between, 'the Undisputed Era', (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly) (c) versus 'The Authors of Pain' (Akam and Rezar) versus Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong. Once again, like the previous contest in the night, all the performers did alright for most of the match. It just that the betrayal ending doesn't match well, with the story that they were trying to tell, most of the match. It didn't make sense, for somebody to attack another team, during the match, only for him, to deceive his partner, and align with the people, he just punch and kick, a few moments, earlier. The betrayal part wasn't well, choreograph. Despite that, the next match between NXT World Champion, Andrade "Cien" Almas facing number one challenger, Aleister Black was a lot better than their previous, one year-anniversary 'TakeOver' match in Orlando, FL. As least, this one had some build with Almas's manager, Zelina Vega being a thorn to Black's side, during the weeks before their encounter. I also dig that the fans honestly gave the competitors, the respect, they deserve here. It really surprise me, on how much, a year, can do, for a wrestler. This match turn them, into bigger superstars. However, the biggest highlight of the night, has to come from, the yearlong feud between ex-DIY partners, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano in an unsanctioned match. Not only did this contest, had a wonderful build storyline, going into it, with Gargano fighting to get his job, back, after Ciampa cost it, in the previous TV tapings; but throughout the match, it had a masterpiece of story-telling and emotion. All the moves sets, really did make it, fun to watch; as these two, really had great chemistry in the ring. They really did steal the show. It's highly worth the five-star rating from wrestling insider, Dave Meltzer. It was pretty impressive stuff. Overall: 'NXT: TakeOver: New Orleans' is worth watching, time and time, again! It's indeed one of the greatest, NXT PPVs, shows of all time! So, grab some Bourbon and enjoyed! I highly recommend seeing this show, despite some flaws.
NXT's Very Best TakeOver.
Movie-ManDan8 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
NXT is simply better than Raw and Smackdown despite being the developmental. The flaws are either gone or drastically diminished. The night before each of the main card's Big 4 ppvs, NXT holds a TakeOver event that usually comes out better than the night after. The night after this TakeOver is the pro-wrestling's biggest night--WrestleMania. Sadly, there's no possible chance of the show of shows surpassing this particular Takeover.
The first match was to crown the first ever North American Champion (NXT's Midcard championship). Ethan Carther III and Ricochet made their debuts against Adam Cole, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, and Velveteen Dream in a ladder match. Adam Cole won in one of the best ladder matches I've ever seen. About half way through I said to myself "Mania is so screwed." The opening match wasn't even finished! 10/10
Next up was Ember Moon defending the women's championship against Shayna Baszler. Shayna is the most hated woman in WWE. Why? Because she's brutal? Vicious? Monstrous? Got the title shot before some others? Got the belt before some others? She is a believable ass-kicker that puts everything around her in serious peril. WWE's women need a scary psycho like the guys have. Plus the match told an excellent story. People that bash Shayna either don't know what they're talking about, or she's just doing that good a job of making people hate her. Ember is moving up to the main roster, so I wasn't mad at all that Shayna won. The match was awesome anyway. Why complain? 9/10
Third match was Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly of the Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish is out with an injury) against the Authors of Pain against Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team trophies and the tag team titles. So much anarchy and hard-hitting excitement culminated with Roderick Strong turning heel by aligning himself with his old ROH buddies and helping them win. 9.5/10
I thought the NXT championship would be the main event. But whatever. Andrade "Cien" Almas defended the title against Aleister Black. Andrade is very over with the crowd, but I've never seen what's so special with him. His wrestling skills are average. The only good thing that happens when he's in the ring is when he catches himself between the ropes. That's it. (but I will admit he got lucky at the previous Takeover against Johnny Gargano in a sweet bout) And his cocky hispanic gimmick? Seen it way too often. He brings nothing to the table. Aleister, on the other hand, is awesome in nearly every respect. He is almost completely a striker, which is something fresh and interesting as opposed to showmen and high flyers. And his horror/heavy metal gimmick. WWE has had way too little horror gimmicks. So it is obvious is have been pro Aleister since day one. They didn't gel together as well as I had hoped and this was the worst match of the night. Aleister won. 8.5/10
The main event was Johnny Gargano taking on his former best friend and teammate, the psychotic and most hated man in NXT--Tomaso Ciampa. Johnny is NXT's answer to Daniel Bryan, but with even less of a gimmick. Ciampa now has an awesome sociopath gimmick which I love. This told a great story and there was so much heart behind it all. Johnny Wrestling won in a phenomenal finale. 10/10
Overall: 9.4/10 (I don't remember the last time a WWE ppv scored above a 9 as its overall grade)
The first match was to crown the first ever North American Champion (NXT's Midcard championship). Ethan Carther III and Ricochet made their debuts against Adam Cole, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, and Velveteen Dream in a ladder match. Adam Cole won in one of the best ladder matches I've ever seen. About half way through I said to myself "Mania is so screwed." The opening match wasn't even finished! 10/10
Next up was Ember Moon defending the women's championship against Shayna Baszler. Shayna is the most hated woman in WWE. Why? Because she's brutal? Vicious? Monstrous? Got the title shot before some others? Got the belt before some others? She is a believable ass-kicker that puts everything around her in serious peril. WWE's women need a scary psycho like the guys have. Plus the match told an excellent story. People that bash Shayna either don't know what they're talking about, or she's just doing that good a job of making people hate her. Ember is moving up to the main roster, so I wasn't mad at all that Shayna won. The match was awesome anyway. Why complain? 9/10
Third match was Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly of the Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish is out with an injury) against the Authors of Pain against Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team trophies and the tag team titles. So much anarchy and hard-hitting excitement culminated with Roderick Strong turning heel by aligning himself with his old ROH buddies and helping them win. 9.5/10
I thought the NXT championship would be the main event. But whatever. Andrade "Cien" Almas defended the title against Aleister Black. Andrade is very over with the crowd, but I've never seen what's so special with him. His wrestling skills are average. The only good thing that happens when he's in the ring is when he catches himself between the ropes. That's it. (but I will admit he got lucky at the previous Takeover against Johnny Gargano in a sweet bout) And his cocky hispanic gimmick? Seen it way too often. He brings nothing to the table. Aleister, on the other hand, is awesome in nearly every respect. He is almost completely a striker, which is something fresh and interesting as opposed to showmen and high flyers. And his horror/heavy metal gimmick. WWE has had way too little horror gimmicks. So it is obvious is have been pro Aleister since day one. They didn't gel together as well as I had hoped and this was the worst match of the night. Aleister won. 8.5/10
The main event was Johnny Gargano taking on his former best friend and teammate, the psychotic and most hated man in NXT--Tomaso Ciampa. Johnny is NXT's answer to Daniel Bryan, but with even less of a gimmick. Ciampa now has an awesome sociopath gimmick which I love. This told a great story and there was so much heart behind it all. Johnny Wrestling won in a phenomenal finale. 10/10
Overall: 9.4/10 (I don't remember the last time a WWE ppv scored above a 9 as its overall grade)
The best NXT TakeOver yet!
kallumkilpatrick7 November 2018
If you haven't seen this show, pourqoui? Big Daddy Dave Meltzer have two 5 star matches on this show. That's the first ever time that's happened, on a WWE-produced show at least; not even WrestleMania X's two classic matches of Bret vs Owen and Razor vs HBK could achieve such a fate.
Best wwe network event ever
matthew-heckler13 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
We witnessed the greatest ladder match in pro wrestling history. Including a new member of undisputed era, and the hellacious fight between Gargano and Ciampa, with Omg moves and near falls and the Nxt championship fades to black.
NXT Takeover: New Orleans
bobcobb3019 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Takeover almost never disappoints and this was no exception. The problem is that they started the show off with a wild ladder match that while not a classic, set the bar too high. The title matches could not live up to the hype and the Ciampa/Gargano revenge bout lasted just a bit too long for my liking.
Solid show, but it was a bit too long. Again, a 40 minute ladder match and a lengthy main event that should have both been reduced to make a smoother broadcast.
Solid show, but it was a bit too long. Again, a 40 minute ladder match and a lengthy main event that should have both been reduced to make a smoother broadcast.
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